The Perils of the Net

A Whale of a Story

Yesterday we were walking with a friend on the beach when we were hit by a 70 mile an hour squall and I can genuinely say it was pretty scary. It was also incredibly beautiful. We had to cling to each other to avoid being blown over and scramble our way back to the house and a dram to warm us up and settle the nerves. But nature is both sublime and terrifying and the beauty often comes with a price. The price for wildlife seems to be getting higher thanks to man’s intervention. We all watched and gasped at the Blue Planet on the telly and the amount of floating debris in the ocean, but this last month it has hit home again. A sperm whale which died after stranding on the Isle of Harris had a 100kg litter ball in its stomach. In its tummy were fishing nets, rope, packing straps, bags and plastic cups. All squashed down into its digestive tract.

Don’t Be Crabby

I watch the fishermen most days, storms permitting, but most of what gets washed up here is crab and lobster traps not nets, but those things are solidly made and of materials that may well last a thousand years. My next door neighbour collects the driftwood and washed up lobster pots, but they are very expensive and best to give back to the crab men. The dead beast was washed up on Seilebost beach and it highlighted the wider problem of marine pollution. An autopsy on the whale couldn’t blame pollution on the demise of the animal, but it can’t have helped the beast. However, the number of whale and dolphin strandings in Scotland is on the increase. There were 204 reports in 2009, rising to more than 930 in 2018. A lot of it must be due to the increase in marine traffic which interferes with the animals’ natural sonar.  

Put it on the Slate

Here at James Pirie we care for the environment as well as our wonderful customers and have just the answer to inclement weather and the high winds of wintertime. Yes it is shopping in the comfort of your home, office, or on the move. If you are buying a gift for the home then I can heartily recommend the fantastic Just Slate Company’s Table Runner cum Centre Piece. It is the ideal way to safely place hot plates and condiments on the table. It will also sit perfectly alongside other lovely pieces from the Just Slate range. It is made from natural materials that will last an age and indeed already has, because Scottish slate is millions of years old. And supplied in premium Just Slate gift boxes it makes the perfect Scottish gift.

https://www.jamespirie.com/for-home/table-runner-centre.html